06/27/2018
Prestigious Harvey Awards Return to New York City and Will Feature New Award Categories, New Voting Procedures and New Award Statues
NEW YORK, NY – June 27, 2018 – The Harvey Awards Committee, as part of the award’s 30th anniversary celebration, today announced a new slate of categories for the first full award presentation at New York Comic Con in October. In addition to the new awards, this year’s ceremony will feature a brand new nomination and voting procedure along. ReedPOP, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, will host a gala event on Friday, October 5th to present this year’s awards and honor the life and work of Harvey Kurtzman.
New for the 30th Anniversary, nominees for this year’s awards will be selected by a handpicked committee of diverse industry voices and voted on by eligible industry professionals. Utilizing ReedPOP’s extensive network of comic and industry professionals, attendees who have been previously approved for a Pro Badge or Artist Alley Badge at a 2016, 2017 or 2018 ReedPOP comic convention (New York Comic Con, Emerald City Comic Con, C2E2) are automatically eligible to cast their ballot. Nominees will be announced and voting will begin on August 1st. Voting will conclude on August 23rd.
In addition to a restructured nomination and voting process, the 30th Anniversary of the Harvey Awards will feature an all-new slate of categories:
- Book of the Year: Best long-form graphic novel or collection that demonstrating excellence in writing, art or cartooning showcasing great representation of the form.
- Digital Book of the Year: Best comic or collection originally presented in a digital format
- Best Children or Young Adult Book: Best long-form original graphic novel or collection presented for younger audiences
- Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel: Best adaptation to another medium of a work originally presented as a graphic novel, trade collection or comic book
- Best Manga: Best single manga of the year translated in to English
- Best European Book: Best European material translated in to English
A handful of Special Awards will be presented to individuals as chosen by the Harvey Awards Executive Committee:
- Harvey Kurtzman Award for Humor: Special Award for satire in comic books, graphic novels, comic strips (digital or print) that embodies the spirit of Harvey Kurtzman.
- Harvey Hall of Fame Award: Honoring creators who have had a distinguished career or impact on the medium for over two decades.
- International Spotlight Award: Presented to a creator whose work originates outside the United States that has had an impact on the medium.
“With the new Harvey Awards at NYCC, our goal is to bring the year’s best graphic works to the fore,” said Nellie Kurtzman, chair of the Harvey Awards Executive Committee. “As a reader, seeing a book acknowledged by the Harvey Awards should ensure you’re picking up the best our industry has to offer. As a librarian, educator or retailer – the Harvey Awards should help guide you towards quality material. With the help of the new nomination and voting procedures, our goal is to help new and old fans alike find the best work the comics medium has to offer.”
The Harvey Awards, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2018, honors achievement in comic books across a variety of categories and represents one of the industry’s largest annual events. The Harveys have long recognized comic book excellence – honoring industry professionals in the United States and internationally. Named after Harvey Kurtzman, the late famed comic genius who is best remembered for creating MAD, the Harveys are returning to the birthplace of comics and the lifelong home of Kurtzman himself– New York City.
“We are thrilled to honor the life and work of the great Harvey Kurtzman here in his hometown during one of the biggest comic events of the year, New York Comic Con,” said Lance Fensterman, Global President of ReedPOP. “By opening the voting and process to our network, we believe that these iconic awards will become even more inclusive and shine a spotlight on the industry’s best works.”
For more information about Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards, please visit harveyawards.com or the Harvey Awards social media pages (Facebook, and Twitter). The 2017/2018 Harvey Awards Committee is chaired by Nellie Kurtzman along with noted industry veterans John Lind and Chip Mosher.
New York Comic Con is the ultimate pop culture destination event in the United States. NYCC brings the best of comics, television, film, exhibitors, celebrities, cosplay, anime, and more to create memorable, uniquely exciting experiences for our fans. These experiences transcend beyond the walls of the Javits Center – throughout Hell's Kitchen – and continue to live beyond the weekend of NYCC through online world of ReedPOP digital content.
For a full list of content at New York Comic Con and for more information, please visit NewYorkComicCon.com and NYCC's social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
About Harvey Kurtzman:
Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993), creator of MAD and Playboy's "Little Annie Fanny," was a cartoonist and pop culture icon. Among the most influential American satirists, he was known for his visionary abilities that encompassed author, artist, designer, and editor, and used those skills in some capacity in almost every project he was involved in. Kurtzman is an inductee of the Will Eisner Hall of Fame (1989), and the comics industry's Harvey Awards, presented annually since 1988, are named in his honor.
About ReedPOP:
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions – the world’s leading events organizer. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPOP currently features events in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, India, Africa and Australia, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, South and Australia, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), MCM Comic Con, BookCon, Oz Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), Comic Con India, Comic Con Paris, Comic Con Seoul, Comic Con Africa, Star Wars Celebration, and ComplexCon. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPOP also runs and operates the Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesIndustry.Biz. The staff at ReedPOP are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.(www.reedpop.com).